Cut-out for telephones.



No. 796,022. PATENTED AUG. l, 1905. J. A. TORNQU-IST.

GUT-OUT FOR TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T4 e, 1904.

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UNITED STATES rerum? orrion.

JOHN ANDREW TORNQUIST, OF CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO TORN- QUIST ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAVENPORT,

IOWA.

CUT-OUT FOR TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed October 6, 1904. Serial No. 227.453.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ANDREW TORN- QUIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cut-Outs for Telephones; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved lightning-arrester, ground switch and fuse, and lever cutout for telephones and telegraph instruments by means of which a telephone or oth'rinstrument may be cut out without interfering with the action of the other instruments on the same line and preserved from injury from lightning and without injuryrto the cut-out.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and eiiicient instrument of this v character which when it receives attention will operate to protect the telephone or tele` graph instrument from injury by currents of dangerous force without injury to itself and which when neglected will nevertheless be equally eihcient in protecting the telephonel or other instrument without further injury to itself than the burning out of one or more inexpensive fuses, which may be readily replaced.

To this end my invention consists in th combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a cut-out embodying my improvements, showing the switch -lever in closed position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the switch-lever in open position; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the plane intersecting the carbon blocks. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the clampesprings to which the fuse-conductors are attached.

In the embodiment of my invention I employ a base 1 of porcelain or other suitable non-conducting material, on which, near one end, are conducting-plates 2, 3, and 4. The former is circular with serrations 5 at one side, and the latter two are segmental in form and are disposed concentrically with reference to the plate 2, near but out of contact with each other and with their opposing inner ends near but out of contact with each other, as at 6. The plate 2 is provided at its outer side with an extension a, and the plates 3 4 are provided, respectively, at their outer ends with extensions b c. Each of said extensions is formed with an enlarged central portion forming a base on which bears a carbon block 10. rThe said carbon blocks are here shown as of oblong rectangular form and are disposed in line with one another and are nearly, in contact with one another. Each of the carbon blocks is provided with a central opening through which extends a bolt 7. The heads of said bolts are countersunk in recesses 8, with which the base 1 is provided on its under side. The stemsof the bolts pass through and engage screw-threaded openings 9, with which the extensions of the plates 2, 3, and 4 are provided, the said bolts serving to secure the said plates on the base 1. Said bolts are passed through the central opening in the carbon block, and on the latter are placed metallic plates 11, which have adjusting-slots through which said bolts extend. On the projecting ends of the said bolts are screw-nuts 12, which serve to clamp the plates on the carbon blocks and to clamp the latter firmly on the base portions of the extensions of the plates 2, 3, and 4. Hence the said bolts and the said nuts serve not only to secure the extension portions of the plates 2, 3, and 4 on the base 1, but also serve to secure the carbon blocks on the said extension portions of said plates. The openings in the carbon blocks, through which the said bolts extend, exceed the diameter of said bolts, and hence the said carbon blocks may be adjusted on the bolts as may be required to widen or conf tract the spaces between their contiguous ends. The extensions of the plates 2, 3, and 4 are provided at points beyond the outer sides of the carbon blocks with screw-threaded openings 13, which receive Shanks of bindingscrews 14. The latter serve to secure the line-wires and the ground-wire to the plates 2, 3, and 4, the line-wires being attached to the plates 3 4 and the ground-wire to the plate 2. To facilitate the disposition of the carbon blocks in exact alinement with one another, the extensions are provided on their upper sides with stops 15, against which the said carbon blocks are caused to bear. A switch-plug 20 is adapted to be placed in an opening 16 in the plate 2 or in any of the openings 17, 18, and 19 between the plates 3 4, 2 3, and 2 4, respectively.

rlhe plates 3 4 are respectively provided with conducting-posts 21, which are secured thereon by means of screws 22, the latter serving also to secure the plates 3 t to the base 1. Switch-bars 23 24 are respectively pivotally connected to the said posts and. are connected together b v a non-conducting` yoke 26, to which is attached a handle 126. The switch-bars make and break in connection with posts 2T 28, respectively, each of which has a pair ot' clamp-springs 29 and `fuse-conductors 30, which have one end secured to one of the said conductingI clamp-springs. The opposite ends ot' these conductors are connected similarly to binding-posts 31 by clampsprings 32, which are similar tothose shown at 29. The telephone or other instrument is connected by cond noting-wires to the posts 31.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Vhen the switch-plug` is in the openingl 16 and the switch-lever is closed, as in Fig'. 1, the telephone or other instrument is included in the line-circuit, as will be apparent. By moving the switch-lever to open position the instrument is cut out of the main circuit, and this should be done on the approach ot' a th under-storm to protect the instrument Vfrom injury. If the instrument is in use on a series line, the plug should also be removed from the opening 16 and placed in the opening' 17 to short-circuit through the conducting-plates 3 4 and avoid interruptions of the working of the line. lVhen the switch-lever is thus open, injury either to the instrument or to the cut-out is absolutely prevented. Should the lever not be open and the instrument hence continued in the line-circuit, a current of dangerous force will fuse one or both of the fuse-conductors, thus cutting' out the burning' ot' the fuse or `fuses, which may be readily and inexpensively replaced or repaired.

The openings 18 19 in connection with the switch-plug enable either side o't' the circuit to be cut out at will should this at any time become desirable for any reason. The carbon blocks serve to short-circuit currents of abnormal strength. The juxtaposition of the plates 2 3 4 and the serrated edges of the latter etlect a like operation between said plates.

HavingI thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An instrument of the class described. having' a base, lighming-arresting' plates thereon having extensions bearing` on the base` carbon blocks on the said extensions, and bolts securing' the extensions on the base and the carbon blocks on the extensions, substantially as described.

2.*An instrument ol the class described, having a base, lightning-arresting,l plates thereon having' extensions bearingl on the base, carbon blocks on the said extensions, and bolts securingl the extensions on the base and the carbon blocks on the extensions. said carbon blocks beingl adjustable on the said bolts toward and from one another.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

J CHN ANDREV TORNQUIS". lVitnesses:

L. W. BAKKER,

E. EWING. 

